Clubs end year with banquets and celebrations

By Edgar Mendoza

Saddleback activities have a tradition of hosting a banquet every year for their club or sport. These banquets are created to congratulate Roadrunners for all their hard work and efforts. This year, the dance team, swim team, and band assembled at the end of the year to celebrate.

On May 29, the dance banquet was held at Tutto Fresco. At this Italian restaurant, all the dancers received a trophy and others received medals for individual accomplishments. For seniors, this was the last banquet they will share with the team before they graduate. Senior Heinen Delibrado mentioned, “I really enjoyed this year’s banquet. I’m going to miss my closest friends, and I’m really going to miss performing.”

Also on May 29, the swim team held their banquet at Saddleback’s teachers’ lounge. All the Saddleback swimmers received at least a certificate. Some swimmers received a special trophy for “MVP,” “Rookie of the year,” “Most improved,” and other accomplishments. The night was concluded when everyone brought food to eat, which included pasta, pizza, fried chicken, cookies, and brownies.

On June 5, 2015, the Saddleback Performance Ensemble held their annual banquet at the Delhi Center and began at 5:30 p.m. The students were served food from Stonefire Grill and the members of the Band Boosters, also known as the parents of students in band, helped serve the food. Band teacher Mr. Dylan Harlan announced the award recipients for awards such as “Most Improved” and “Best Section.” The night concluded with a slideshow made by Mr. Harlan to recap all of the events from the year.

Top students honored at Renaissance Assembly

By Cedric Mendiola

Every year there are a handful of students in each grade level that go above and beyond to be recognized  by the staff here at Saddleback. These students were honored during the Renaissance Assembly on June 5th and their pictures were shown during a slide show.

The top Freshman students were: Grecia Abarca, Daisy Gonzalez, Michelle Nguyen, Angel Torres, Yadira Verastegui, Bich Nguyen, Ngoc Nguyen, Yasmin Romero, and Anh-Vy Phan.

The top Sophomores were Daisy Barroso, Mindy Le, Carlos Praxedis, Jimmie Melchor, Victor Gonzalez, Guadalupe Terrones, Daniel Guadarrama, Sergio Chavez, and Luis Benitez.

The top Juniors were Vanessa Gonzalez, An Ho, Celeste Garcia, Tyler Nguyen, Nayeli Gonzalez, Susan Gonzalez, Miguel Toledo, Denise Garcia, Aurora Rocha, and Luis Terrones.

And lastly, the top Seniors were Alonso De La Torre, Jenny Nguyen, Gaby Carillo, Evonne Bui,  Teresa Chavez, Maria Garcia, Valerie Quiroz, Laura Perez, and Jennifer Perez.

These students overcame hardships in school and have managed to find a balance in school and in their clubs. Sophomore Victor Gonzalez says, “It feels amazing to be recognized. All my hard work and sacrifices have paid off in the end, considering I had to juggle my time with school work, clubs, and sports.” Senior Gaby Carrillo says, “I feel very proud of myself. I worked very hard to get where I am, including moments where I have had to choose school over my social life or family gatherings. In the end I know it has been worth it, and it fills me with pride.”

Students compete in Smash Bros. tournament

Story and photo by Micki Souvannavong

On Wednesday June 6, the Saddleback Teen Center held a Super Smash Bros. Tournament in the school’s Forum. Super Smash Bros is a popular fighting game that was released in October 2014. Since then the game has gathered a huge following.

The tournament lasted six rounds, with each round eliminating the losing player. Senior Fabian Alonso won the final head to head match against Christopher Maravilla and took home the first place prize.  The prize was a $25 dollar gift card to the Regal Entertainment Movie Theatres.

Commenting on the tournament, Alonso said, “It felt very scary. Seeing all my opponents was terrifying. I actually wasn’t expecting to win because I was placed with Daniel Garcia while playing in the top eight. After I won against him I was relieved. I had lots of fun, and my last opponent was a huge challenge. I’m glad I had all the support of my friends through the tournament.”

Alonso trained by playing casual games with his friends. Alonso said,“ I would practice when get the chance, but I enjoy playing friendly games because they’re fun and it still helped me get better.”

Band finishes the year at pops concert

By Daisy Gonzalez

Photo Credit: Saddleback Band

On May 27, the band ensemble performed in front of an audience of parents and students in the Forum.

 

The first part of their performance featured the Wind Ensemble playing songs from Disney Movies and Star Trek. The second part of the show was played by the Concert and Intermediate Band, which performed songs from the movies Guardians of the Galaxy and Aladdin.

 

When the third performance of the night was about to begin, Band Director Mr. Dylan Harlan highlighted the achievements of this year’s band, such as winning the SCSBOA Division 1A Marching Championships and performing at Disneyland as a marching band in one of the parades last year. He then recognized the seniors from the ensemble and Color Guard members.

 

He commemorated senior Anthony Teran, who is the president of band, saying Teran has helped him ever since he entered band as a freshman. Mr. Harlan honored senior and Drum Major Daniel Garcia.   Garcia conducted the combined Wind Ensemble and Concert Band.

 

Mr. Harlan then introduced guest star Joey Sellers.  Sellers spoke about his career as an accomplished composer in both jazz and classical music and Director of Jazz Studies at Saddleback College. He conducted a segment of the show, and also played the trombone.

 

Then came the surprise guest.  Harlan exclaimed  that he has no pianist. He asked the crowd if there was anybody willing to play for him. He looked over everyone and spotted a man with a red cap and Trojans jersey. To everyone’s surprise, it was Saddleback principal, Dr. Robert Laxton, who came onstage and played piano for everyone throughout the rest of the concert, even joining with Harlan as he played saxophone for a few songs.

After playing all the songs, Anthony Teran announced the retirement of Dr. Laxton and presented a plaque dedicated to him as a present for his retirement.  Teran gave Harlan two presents, a small badge honoring the band’s successes this year and a letterman jacket with the word ‘Harlan’ on the back.

Saddleback welcomes a new class

Story and photos by Mark Silvas

 

On Wednesday June 4, 2015 Saddleback High School welcomed the incoming freshmen class to the gym to show what our school is all about and to showcase the extracurricular activities that Saddleback has to offer.  The incoming class had the chance to to sign up for the activities they wanted.

The parents and students were welcomed in with a performance by the band while staff and administration greeted them. Among the staff was Saddleback’s new principal, Mr. Ed Bustamante, who introduced himself to students and parents at the event.

 

After everyone was settled in, Dr. Robert Laxton, our current principal, let the parents know in a slideshow what kind of environment Saddleback is and where the school is going in the next few years. Following the slideshow was a performance by the dance and cheer teams.

Librarian Mrs. Valerie Glover who helped organize the event said, “The ninth grade parent meeting is to show parents and the community what Saddleback has to offer in academic programs, pathways, and extracurricular activities.” Glover added, “Students and their parents can choose what high school they will attend, and we hope they will choose Saddleback.”

The event was put on to benefit the incoming class before they enter high school, “Freshmen will know they will be coming to a great school for them that has many opportunities they can take advantage of,” said Glover. “We hope students who want to be college and career ready will come to Saddleback High School to develop skills that will prepare them for the future.”

Choir performs their Spring Concert

Story and photos by Emanuel Ruiz

The Spring Choral Concert took place on May 19, 2015 in the Saddleback Forum. It was a showcase that allowed audiences to see the talent Saddleback has to offer.  “The concert was very entertaining. There were so many talented singers up on that stage,” said junior Sam Mora.

 

The concert began with Chamber Singers men signing In The Still Of The Night. Followed by solos from Daisy Magdaleno who sung Vanilla Ice Cream from the musical “She Loves Me.” Natalie Chavez sang a the song Reflection, from the movie Mulan. Dayanira Bautista and Cintia Hernandez performed a beautiful duet called Por Ti Volare by Gomez Escolar.

 

Women’s Chorus was next, signing Run Away Bride Medley by Roger Emerson, Count On Me by Bruno Mars, which had a friendly and catchy tune to it, and finally the very rhythmic Siyahamba, a South American Folk song, featuring Natalie Ocampo and Artize Gonzalez as soloists.

Up next were more solos, starting with Jenny Nguyen’s outstanding performance of Make You Feel My Love by Adele. Yareli Escobar and Gaby Ocegueda followed with their emotional performance of Stay by Rhianna.  Patty Palacios gave an incredible performance of The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson, and finally Cedric Mendiola sang the romantic solo Georgia by Michael Buble.

Jenny Nguyen

 

The Mixed Concert Chorus led with the famous song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, followed by the very upbeat Viva La Vida by Coldplay, then heartwarming and powerful Lean on Me by Bill Withers, and the joyful Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches and Herb.

Patty Palacios

 

More solos followed starting with Kimberli Inchaurregui singing Sweet Love by Fortunate Youth. Rebecca Valenzuela sang O Mio Babbino Caro, Melaine Arceo and Celine Oezkan performed the mellow Bubbly by Colbie Caillat.  Then came fan favorite Sam Mora with Mad World by Tears for Fears.

Cedric Mendiola

 

Abby Moreno on the top Billboard song I’m Not The Only One by Sam Smith, Chelsea Espinoza sang a soulful blues song called I’d Rather Go Blind by Etta James, and Gerry Balderas sang the love song Cry Me A River by Arthur Hamilton.

 

Chamber Women opened with Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. The final singers of the night were the Chamber Singers, who performed O Magnum Mysterium, Alleluia, and the uplifting song Somebody To Love by Queen.

 

“The show was delivered well and we all enjoyed our last performance together,” said junior Melissa Hernandez. She continued with, “O Magnum Mysterium was one of our best songs because we were whole as a choir. I also enjoyed the performance of junior Sam Mora singing Mad World.”

 

Senior Patricia Palacios said, “The concert was well organized and exciting for not only the performers but for the audience.” Palacios continued with, “I was extremely nervous for my solo, especially with so many friends and family members screaming with excitement. I did enjoy my performance. I believe I was very nervous, and my voice was shaky at first, but then I was fine and I did fairly good.” She ended with, “I very much enjoyed Sam Moras performance of Mad World.”

Oakley brings sight to the needy

By Mark Silvas

Photos by Juan Esqueda

One Sight, a division of the Oakley eyewear company, came to Saddleback High School to achieve their goal of helping at least 400 children by providing them with the proper vision care needed. In the week they were here they gave free glasses and eye exams to Santa Ana residents, many of whom were Saddleback students, who can’t obtain it themselves. One Sight is a non profit organization whose goal is to provide vision care to those in need who cannot obtain it.

One Sight was founded by Luxottica in the hopes of achieving this goal. So far they have helped more than 8.5 million people in over 40 countries.  They are in Santa Ana from February 23 to February 28, the schools they have helped  the week they were doing the Santa Ana clinic are Carver Elementary, Sierra Preparatory Academy, and Saddleback High School.

Jessica Pitcher, the Blogger/ Media Captain of the Santa Ana 2015 Clinic, gave insight on their goal. “We are giving full comprehensive eye exams and a pair of glasses to students who need them,” says Pitcher. She continues by saying, “One Sight’s end goal is to eradicate the vision care crisis not only in our community but globally as well.” Pitcher added that, “This is a non profit organization.  We have volunteers from around the world.”

Senior Micki Souvannavong, one of the students who modeled for Oakley during the Santa Ana clinic, gave insight on his full experience with the crew. “Since I didn’t do a professional experience the first time I got my glasses it was pretty cool and it was free,” says Souvannavong. He adds, “They went through the process, the seeing eye chart, they dilated my eyes, and checked if I was color blind.”

You can find more information on the cause at OneSight.org. Their next destination is Mexico, where they will be giving away free eyeglasses to the needy from February 28 to March 8.

Winter assembly brings cheers

By Juan Esqueda

Photos by Joselyn Macias

The Winter Sports Assembly took place on Friday February 20, 2015. The theme of the assembly was Space Jam, based the popular sports/adventure movie featuring Michael Jordan, that was released in the year 1996.

The assembly was in honor of the winter sports teams, including boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ soccer, wrestling, and girls’ water polo. The assembly also honored the teams that made it to CIF this season: girls’ water polo, boys’ soccer, boys’ basketball, and some of the wrestlers from the wrestling team.

 

The Cheer Squad also performed a new routine that included many rounds of stunts and tumbling. Cheer captain and senior Alexis Garcia said, “Everyone put 100% in the performance. We practiced up to 4 times a week to get it right.”

 

In addition, Color Guard performed as well. Senior Karina Muñoz said, “I felt like we performed our hearts out, and I’m really proud of how much the team and I put hard work into it.”

Dance team performed to a mix of Upgrade U by Beyonce and Get Loose by Tyga. Based on the loud cheers the team received, the audience really liked the performance according to how loud their cheers were.

Physics students get special Halloween lesson

By Michael Nava

Photos by Michael Nava

Saddleback physics teacher Brian Sandquist dressed up as vampire on Halloween. He created a Halloween theme classroom and lab. Mr. Sandquist turned his classroom into a vampire themed lair.

The class started with the teacher missing. All that was there was an empty coffin- or so everyone thought. Junior Miguel Toledo said,  It was funny but weird walking into a class and looking at a coffin.”  Junior Daisy Hernandez said, “I was frightened. I was scared that something was going to pop out of coffin.”

Once the bell rang a vampire appeared out of the coffin with his thirst for blood. Luckily, the vampire teacher set up a lab that included blood. Junior Alexis Martinez said, “I was excited to see what was going to happen.”  The lab was used to teach students fluid dynamics. The “vampire” tested four different blood “veins” by using tubes. Each tube had a bigger diameter, simulating a bigger vein.

In vampire character, Sandquist said, “The purpose of this lab is for students to understand the fluid flow through tubes. I wanted to teach them fluid dynamics but I wanted to include a blood theme for Halloween. I felt that it would engage students and teach them mathematics and practice lab writing skills.” The students learned that the bigger diameter has an increased blood flow.

 

Senior Jenny Perez said, “The lab was cool. We have a cool teacher.”

 

As the class was ending, the vampire was tired and went back to sleep in his coffin. He was awaiting for his next victims to feed on.

Choir brings out the Boogie

By Raul Carrillo

Photo by Raul Carrillo

 

On Thursday June 12, 2014 the Saddleback choir lit up the Forum with their voices, performing their spring concert, Boogie Nights the Music of the 70’s. This was the first concert that the new choir teacher, Ms. Jocelyn Dietsche, has directed here at Saddleback High School, and it was a grand blast to the 70’s featuring such songs like, “Y.M.C.A.,” “ Dust in the Wind,” “Boogie Nights,” and many other classic hits.

The show was a very fast-paced show, quickly moving from one song to another while also including choreography in most of the songs. The choreographers of the show were Rodney Anderson, Mark Hensen, and Jocelyn Dietsche. The choreography played a big role; the show even started with some of the choir members sitting in the with the audiences and springing out of their chairs along with the song.

Throughout the performance there were several solos, duets, and even a trio to showcase some of the choir members and their talent. The students who got the spotlight had to go through an audition and were selected by Ms. Dietsche; they were: Yareli Escobar, Gabi Ocedueda, Gabriel Bello, Michael Santiago, Jerry Baladeras, Luckana Kim, Sandra Andres, Dayanira Bautista, Francis Gutierrez Arizmendi, Vianca Perez, Anaittzy Villa, Juliana Gonzalez, Kim Inchaurregui, Ashli Tanielu, Sofia Mota, Erica Lopez, Irene Salazar, Jessica Cuellar, and Jenny Ayala.